Locked on Jazz film session: Jazz's pick-and-roll defense on Cleveland's Kyrie Irving helped lead to win

Deseret News

Published: Sunday, Aug. 2 2015 2:57 p.m. MDT

The Utah Jazz beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, 109-98, in part because of good defensive play against the Cavs' pick-and-roll offense.

Key to playing defense against the pick-and-roll is the defensive big man. Against Cleveland, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, Paul Millsap and Enes Kanter all took turns showing up to help defend against the point before sliding back to the rolling big man.

The Jazz have improved defensively as of late. It's helped translate into opportunities going the way, as the Jazz now rank eighth in the NBA in fast-break points per game, averaging 15.6 per contest. Oklahoma City is seventh in the league with 16.3 fast-break points per game, and Milwaukee is ninth with 14.7.

In a new video, David Locke, play-by-play announcer for the Jazz, breaks down how the Jazz defended Cleveland's point guard Kyrie Irving, and how on numerous occasions, Utah's defense led to transition buckets.